U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, right, speaks to the media as U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., left, and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, center, look on at the Capitol in Hartford, Conn., Monday, April 26, 2010. LaHood met with Connecticut officials to discuss proposed improvements to rail service between New Haven, Hartford and Springfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

This is an update of a story The Republican has been following since this morning. Previous versions are available here (12:15 p.m.) and here (9:05 a.m.).

HARTFORD - The Connecticut River Valley could be among the first regions in the country to implement high-speed commuter rail with “All Aboard!” by 2014 or 2016.

“This corridor has its act to together,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Raymond H. LaHood.

“I think this could pressure Massachusetts to get our part of this project done. That’s a good thing,” Neal said at the post-meeting news conference.

U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., started the day taking an Amtrak shuttle train from New Haven to Hartford with U.S. Reps. John B. Larson, D-Hartford and Rosa L. DeLauro, D-New Haven.

Ridership on Amtrak’s existing service through Springfield is on the increase. The North-south Vermonter saw ridership increased 10.2 percent from 37,590 riders from October 2008 to March 2009 to 41,431 from October 2009 to March 2010. Ridership on existing Springfield-to-new Haven shuttle service increased 11.5 percent from 158,829 to 177,160.

Dodd said commuter rail service is crucial to economic development and will alleviate highway congestion.

“How many more lanes can you build in the future?” Dodd said.

Massachusetts has already received $70 million in federal stimulus money to improve the track along the Connecticut River from Springfield to the Vermont state line. Vermont has received $50 million, to improve that same line north of St. Albans, Vt.

Connecticut has received $40 million in stimulus funds and plans to submit another application for additional money in May.

Timothy W. Brennan, executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, said the rail improvement project has a considerable head of steam behind it.

“It’s significant that we were the only region in New England to receive rail stimulus money,” Brennan said.

The federal government made $8 billion in stimulus money available for rail projects in January. The plan is to make an additional $2.5 billion available nationally later this year, that’s the pot of money Connecticut hopes to tap.

LaHood said the Obama administration also plans to make another $1 billion for rail work in 2011.

But competition for the money will be tough. LaHood, a former Republican congressman from Illinois, said he’s visited 75 cities in 38 states over the past 14 months. Each and every city talked about intermodal transportation, linking trains with subways, trolleys, buses, road networks and airports.

“Some places are further along than others. Some places are just now beginning to get a plan together,” LaHood said. “You have been talking about this for a long time.”

Brennan said there are really several intertwined projects at play. First, there is the money for track improvements. That will pay for better switching and both north- and south-bound tracks. At first, that would allow for Amtrak to move its long-distance trains servicing Vermont closer to the Connecticut River and shave a half hour off the trip.

Then, once the improved tracks are in place Connecticut could start frequent commuter trains from New Haven to Springfield. The Census Bureau estimates that 15,000 people a day commute south from the Springfield area into Connecticut. Another 8,000 to 9,000 people a day commute north from Connecticut into the Springfield area, Brennan said.

A Massachusetts study looking at increased east-west rail service from Springfield to Worcester should also be public soon, Brennan said.

Neal said all this increased rail traffic will boost efforts he’s long championed to rehabilitate Springfield’s Union Station.